Auburn (5-2) vs. Ole Miss (3-4) Game Preview

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Ole Miss is out of the SEC title chase now, but is Auburn really and truly in it?

The Tigers emphatically showed that they might just be hitting their stride at just the right time, ripping apart a shockingly hapless Arkansas defense from the word go, rolling to a 56-3 win that was among the most dominant SEC performances of the year.

Now Auburn is on a four-game winning streak with the LSU game out of the way – a huge deal considering the Tigers are on a roll. With Vanderbilt, at Georgia, and Alabama A&M up next – all not-that-bad games and wins if the Tigers play like they did against the Fighting Bielemas, beat Ole Miss, and there’s a real, live shot at getting to the Iron Bowl with a real, live shot at playing for the SEC championship.

Meanwhile, the Rebels lost to the Arkansas a few weeks ago, and got steamrolled over by Leonard Fournette and LSU last week. Lose this, and at 3-5, all of a sudden they’re flirting with losing season territory with Georgia Southern’s option offense – the last thing a struggling run defense needs to face – up next before going on the road to face Texas A&M and Vanderbilt before the Egg Bowl vs. Mississippi State.

Check that. The last thing a struggling run defense needs to face is Auburn right now.

The Tiger blocking has been unbelievable over the last month, Sean White is throwing well, and freshman Kamryn Pettway has been a dominant force running the ball, tearing off 169 yards and three scores against Mississippi State and 192 yards and two scores against Arkansas.

Meanwhile, Ole Miss has been QB Chad Kelly, and that’s about it.

The Rebel run defense has left the building, literally getting run over by Fournette last week making it the fourth time in five games the D has allowed 200 rushing yards or more.

So of course Auburn is going to roll, right?

It’s still the SEC, and it’s still a road game against an Ole Miss team with talent. It’s not going to be a run in the park, but Auburn is rolling too well and the Rebel defensive front seven is way, way too porous.

There’s always a chance the Ole Miss O clicks and blows up like it did against Georgia in the 45-14 win, but there’s one problem with that – the Auburn defense is playing well, too.